Liquid organic compositions, typically comprising lower molecular weight hydrocarbons and haloginated hydrocarbons, are widely employed as solvents in a variety of diverse applications. Their use in this service includes, for example, dispersing media for reactants to facilitate their more rapid and complete activity in chemical processes, and as recovery or cleaning means in a number of manufacturing and reprocessing operations. Common and extensive applications of such solvents are extracting contaminating or extraneous agents and soil in a manufacturing process, and cleaning or restoring materials such as textiles and similar products by removing dirt and other impurities therefrom. This latter application would include the commonplace "dry cleaning" of wearing apparel.
The disposal of spent or waste organic materials comprising such solvents has become a subject of some concern and controversy because of possible environmental considerations, and because of apprehension as to the effects of exposure thereto upon the health of humans and animals.
Moreover, aside from the environmental and health factors, the costs of both properly disposing of spent or contaminated organic solvents and of replacement of disposed material is becoming increasingly higher.